GB2165775A

GB2165775A - Paint masking tool

Info

Publication number: GB2165775A
Application number: GB08525287A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-10-15
Filing date: 1985-10-14
Publication date: 1986-04-23
Also published as: GB8525287D0

Abstract

A masking tool for use when applying paint adjacent to an area, such as glass in a window, where paint is not required, the tool consisting of a blade- like portion 18 connected to a hand-grip portion 20, the faces of the blade-like portion 18 being covered by sheet material 24, such as paper or polythene, which passes around the free end 22 of the blade-like portion and extends between a rotatable supply reel or spool 23 and a take-up reel or spool 25 which can be rotated to move the sheet material 24 in increments onto the take- up reel or spool 2350 that any paint applied to the sheet material in the region of the free end 22 of the blade- like portion is moved away from the free end. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Masking tool This invention relates to a masking tool for use when applying paint orthe like adjacent to an area where paint is not required.

Masking tools usually have a blade portion which, in us, is manually held against an area, such as the glass in a window or the floor surface adjacent a wall skirting board, to form a mask preventing paint being applied in that area. However, in use, paint is applied to the blade portion of the masking tool, particularly to the edge of the blade,'and it is necessary to wipe the blade clean before applying it to another part of the area otherwise paint may be transferred from the blade to the other part of the area. This continual wiping of the blade in use of the masking tool is laborious and time consuming and requires the provision of a wiping cloth.

According to the present invention there is provided a masking tool for use when applying paint or the like adjacent to an area where paint or the like is not required, comprising a blade-like portion connected to a handle or hand-grip portion, the faces of said blade-like portion being covered by sheet material which passes around the free end of the blade-like portion, said sheet material extending between a supply reel or spool and a take-up reel or spool, said take-up reel or spool being rotatable so as to move the sheet material in increments onto the take-up reel or spool so that in use any paint applied to the sheet material in the region of the free end of the blade-like portion is moved away from the free end.

The take-up reel or spool may be rotated by a trigger operated lever system through a ratchet mechanism, or it may be directly rotated manually or through a hand wheel or through a traction wheel or by an electric motor.

The sheet material is preferably paper, but it may consist of a polythene/paper laminate or polythene sheet.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one embodiment of a masking tool according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the masking tool of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of a second embodiment of a masking tool according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a plan view of the masking tool of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a section taken along the line 5--5 indicated on Figure 4; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic section showing the path of the sheet; and Figure 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 4.

The masking tool shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a blade portion 10 which, in plan view, is rectangular and it tapers in thickness towards a free end 11. The blade portion 10 is connected to a handle 12 which, in this embodiment, is in the form of a pistol grip.

The blade portion 10 and handle 12 are preferably formed integral with each other and may be formed of a plastics material.

Mounted on the underside of the blade portion 10 is a supply reel or spool 13 on which is wound a strip of sheet material 14 which is preferably paper, but which may be a polythene/paper laminate or polythene sheet. The sheet material 14 extends from the reel or spool 13 along the underside of the blade portion 10, around the free end 11, and along the upper side of the blade portion 10 to a take-up reel or spool 15. The sheet 14 and the reels or spools 13, 15 extend across the full width of the blade portion 10.

The take-up reel or spool 15 is rotated by a trigger 16 and lever system 17 through a ratchet mechanism (not shown) so that on each pull of the trigger 16, the reel or spool 15 will be rotated a certain amount and will take-up the sheet material 14. Thus, in use of the masking tool, the free end 11 of the blade portion 10 covered by the sheet material 14, is applied to the surface to be masked and, during painting, some paint will be applied to the length of sheet material 14 covering the upper side of the blade portion 10.When the masking tool is removed from the surface, the trigger 16 is operated to rotate the reel or spool 15 which will wind the sheet material 14 onto the reel or spool 15 and a clean part of the sheet material 14 then covers the free end portion 11 of the blade portion 10 and any paint previously applied to the masking tool is not brought into contact with the next area to be masked.

Where the sheet material 14 comprises a polythene/paper laminate, the polythene will present a non-absorbant surface at the point of paint application. The paper backing the sheet will absorb the paint applied to the polythene when the sheet is wound on the take-up spool. The tensile strength of the sheet is improved by using polythene.

The embodiment of masking tool shown in Figures 3 to 6 comprises a blade portion 18 which merges with a substantially U-shaped portion 19 and terminates at its rear end in an inverted U-shape grip portion 20. The tool is provided with side walls 21. The free end 22 of the blade portion 18 extends beyond the bottom edge of each side wall 21.

Rotatably mounted beneath the blade portion 18 is a supply reel or spool 23 on which is wound a length of sheet material 24, which may be paper or polythene or a polythene/paper laminate. Mounted within the U-shaped portion 19 is a take-up reel or spool 25. As shown more clearly in Figure 7, each reel or spool 23,25 consists of an outer tube 26 and an inner tube 27. Provided at each end is a cylindrical end plug 28 which is provided with a bore 29 in which is received a pintle 30, which is resiliently loaded by a wad 31 of resilient material, such as a sponge-iike material, provided in the bottom of the bore 29. The pintle 30 engages in a hole 32 provided in the adjacent side wall 21.

As shown in Figure 6, the sheet material 24 extends from the supply reel or spool 23 around the free end 22 of the blade portion 18, passes over the upper surface of the blade portion 18 and is wound onto the take-up reel or spool 25. The sheet material 24 enters the bottom part of the spool 25 and, therefore, any paint or the like applied to the sheet material 24 covering the upper surface of the blade portion 18 is on the underside of the material being wound onto the take-up reel or spool 25.

The take-up spool is in use rotated by hand. The tool is held by gripping with one hand the grip portion 20.

In modified arrangements, the take-up reel or spool may be rotated by a manually rotatable wheel or by a traction wheel which rolls on the surface adjacent to the surface being painted, or it may be rotated by an electric motor.

When all of the material has been transferred from the supply reel or spool to the take-up reel or spool, the supply reel or spool is replaced by a replacement full reel or spool and an empty reel or spool replacesthetake-up reel or spool. In certain embodiments the empty supply reel or spool can be used as the replacementtake-up reel or spool.

Claims

1. A masking tool for use when applying paint or the like adjacent to an area where paint or the like is not required, comprising a blade-like portion connected to a handle or hand-grip portion, the faces of said blade-like portion being covered by sheet material which passes around the free end of the blade-like portion, said sheet material extending between a supply reel or spool and a take-up reel or spool, said take-up reel or spool being rotatable so as to move the sheet material in increments onto the take-up reel or spool so that in use any paint applied to the sheet material in the region of the free end of the blade-like portion is moved away from the free end.

2. A masking tool as claimed in claim 1, incil Iding a trigger operated lever system and ratchet for effecting rotation of the take-up reel or spool.

3. A masking tool as claimed in claim 1, in which the take-up reel or spool is mounted for manual rotation.

4. A masking tool as claimed in claim 1, including a hand wheel for effecting rotation of the take-up reel or spool.

5. A masking tool as claimed in claim 1, including a traction wheel for effecting rotation of the take-up reel or spool.

6. A masking tool as claimed in claim 1, including an electric motor for effecting rotation of the take-up reel or spool.

7. A masking tool as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the blade-like portion and handle or hand-grip portion are integral.

8. A masking tool as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the material is paper or plastics material.

9. A masking tool as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the take-up reel or spool is provided at each end with resiliently ioaded pintles.

10. A masking tool as claimed in claim 9, in which the pintles engage in holes provided in side walls of the tool.

11. A masking tool as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, in which the reels or spools consist of an outer tube, an inner tube, a circular plug member provided at each end of the outer tube and a bore provided in the plug member receiving the resiliently loaded pintle.

12. A masking tool for use when applying paint or the like adjacent to an area where paint or the like is not required, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.